Ski rope holder



Jan. 1, 1963 c. L. NICHOLSON ETAL 3,071,100

SKI ROPE HOLDER Filed Jan. 23, 1961 in .WWMs Y 8 mm m T mmovmw a mw Hm.N M N m mm m: 0 LL 5 CC. w Y

3,071,100 Sifl RQPE HGLDER Clifton Lee Nicholson and Clifton L.Nicholson, Jr., both of RR. 4, fieottsburg, ind. Filed .l'an. 23, 1951,821'. No. 84,215 6 Claims. (Cl. 115-61) The present invention relates toan attachment device and more particularly to a device for attaching aperson to a line such as, for example, attaching a water skier to a towrope.

The conventional method of towing a water skier involves the grasping bythe skier of a handle secured to the distal end of a tow rope which maybe attached to a speed boat or the like. Such a method is advantageousin one respect in that should the skier lose his balance, he canimmediately let go of the handle to prevent his being injured. Thisconventional method, however, does have the disadvantage in that theskiers hands become fatigued from constant gripping upon the handle. Itis,

therefore, desirable that a means be provided for attacl1- ing a skierto the end of the tow rope, said means being constructed in such amanner as to relieve the great force upon the skiers hands but to alsoautomatically and quickly release the attachment whenever the skierloses his footing.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide animproved device for attaching a skier to a tow rope.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedattachment device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device forattaching a skier to a tow rope which relieves stress upon the skiershands and incorporates automatic means for releasing the skier from thetow rope upon the losing of balance by the skier.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention comprises a device for attachinga skier to a tow rope and includes a housing and a harness, the housingbeing connected to the harness by a rope or the like. Received withinthe housing is a device for retaining the end of the tow rope in thehousing. There is also provided a manually operable means which iscarried by the water skier and is arranged to operate said retainingmeans by the exertion of a relatively small amount of force. Themanually operable means also functions to permit actuation of theretaining device to automatically release the tow rope upon the releaseof said manually operable means.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the attachment device of the presentinvention showing it as securing a water skier to the end of a tow rope.

FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the device illustrated in FIG. 1showing it partially in plan and partially in section.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of an actuating means which forms a furtherportion of the attachment device of FIG. 1.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated inthe drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended, such alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated device, and such further applicationsof the principles of the invention as illustrated therein beingcontemplated as would normally Efilldllfi Patented Jan. 1, 1963 occur toone skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated awater skier 10 who is wearing a harness 11 which may assume variousforms only one of which is illustrated. The illustrated embodiment ofthe harness includes straps 12 passing over the shoulders and across theback and a strap 13 secured thereto which passes over the forwardportion of the torso of the skier. Detachably secured to the centralforward torso portion of the strap 13 by means of a snap fastener 15 isa rope 16 which in turn is connected to a housing 17. The rope 16 has alength of approximately one to two feet and has an enlargement orenlarged element 20 fixed or clamped to its one end. The rope 16 ispassed through a bore 21 and counterbore 22 in the housing in order tosecure the rope to the housing, the enlargement being sufliciently largeso that it will not pass through the bore 21. As mentioned, the otherend of the rope is provided with a snap fastener 15. This snap fasteneris detachably received upon a ring received on loop 24 fixed to andforming a part of the harness. The bore and counterbore 22 are formedwithin an elongated, cylindrically shaped portion 25 located at one endof the housing 17. The counterbore 22 also functions to receive the end26 of the tow rope 27, the tow rope being releasably retained within thecylindrical portion 25 in a manner to be described. It should be notedthat, when the device is in operation, the rope 16 is in alignment withthe tow rope 27 and that, when the ropes 16 and 27 are under tensionfrom the boat or otherwise, the pull is transmitted in a straight lineto the central forward torso portion of the skier.

Secured to the end 26 of the tow rope .27 is a generally cylindricalelement 30 having an annular indentation 31 in.its periphery. A piston32 is reciprocably mounted within the housing for movement within a bore35 and a coaxial counterbore 36. The bore 35 intersects the counterbore22 in such a manner that the piston may be projected into thecounterbore 22 and into the annular indentation 31 in the element 30 tolock the end of the tow rope 27 in the housing. A spring 37 is receivedwithing the counterbore 36 and acts between the enlarged portion 40 ofthe piston and the housing to yieldably urge the piston 32 out of theindentation 31 and out of the counterbore 22. A lever 41 is pivoted upona post 42 fixed to the housing and may be actuated by means of aflexible line 45 to force against the piston and to project it into thecounterbore 22.

The skier normally carries in his hand an actuating device 46 whichincludes a pair of levers 47 and 48 pivoted to one another at 49. Thelonger moment arm 50 of the lever 47 receives the longer moment arm 51of the lever 48 in the manner of a knife blade. In other words, thelever 47 acts as the handle of the knife and receives the lever 48similarly to folding a pocket knife. The portion 51 is, however, pivotaloutwardly of the portion 50 when it is not held therein by the skiershand in a manner to be described below.

The flexible line 45 is fixed at one end to the lever 41 and is fixed atits other end to the shorter moment arm 52 of the lever 47. The line 45has a flexible casing 55 which is fixed by a nut 56 to the housing 17and by a nut 57 to the shorter moment arm 60 of the lever 48. It can beappreciated that the constant length of the casing 55 plus the fact thatit is fixed to the lever 48 and housing 17 makes possible use of thelevers 47 and 48 to pivot the lever 41 in a clockwise direction asviewed and shown in FIG. 2. When the skier holds the levers 47 and 48 inthe position of FIG. 3, the lever 41 and piston 32 will be in theposition of FIG. 2.

The spring 37 is of sufiicient strength so that when the lever 48 is notheld or pressed into the lever 47, the piston will be retracted out ofthe counterbore 22 by the spring. As mentioned, the skier can, bydepressing the lever 48 into the lever 47, project the piston into theannular indentation 31. The lever 41 and the actuating device 46 areprovided with such a mechanical advantage in the various moment armsthat it takes only slight pressure on the device 46 to maintain thepiston in a projected position. At such time as the water skier loseshis balance, he will automatically let go of the handle 46 and thepiston 32 will be automatically retracted by the spring 37 whereby thetow line is automatically released from the housing 17, the rope 16 andthe harness 11.

A suitable cover (not shown) is secured to the housing 17 by use ofthreaded apertures 50 to protect the lever 41 and piston 40 therein.

From the above description, it can be appreciated that the presentinvention provides an improved means for securing a water skier to a towrope. It can be appreciated that the present invention permits the skierto remain securely attached to the tow line without the exertion of agreat amount of gripping force upon a handle, yet permits automatic andfast release of the skier upon his loss of balance.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that allchanges and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for attaching a person to a line comprising a housing, aharness including straps adapted to be received about the personsshoulders and to extend over the forward portion of the persons torso, arope connecting said housing and the harness centrally of the forwardtorso portion thereof, said housing having a bore therein in alignmentwith the rope, an element fixed to the end of said line and having anannular indentation therein, a piston reciprocably mounted in saidhousing for projecttion into said indentation for locking said elementin said bore, a spring acting against said housing and piston to urgesaid piston out of said indentation and bore, a lever pivoted in saidhousing and bearing against said piston for urging it into said bore andindentation, and a remote manually operated actuator for said lever,said actuator incorporating levers providing a mechanical advantagemaking the force necessary to project said piston relatively small.

2. A device for attaching a person to a line comprising a housing, aharness for the persons body, said harness being connected to saidhousing, said housing having a bore therein adapted to receive the endof said line, an element fixed to the end of said line and having anaperture therein, a piston reciprocably mounted in said housing formovement into said aperture for locking said element in said bore, aspring acting against said housing and piston to urge said piston out ofsaid aperture and bore, a first lever pivoted in said housing andbearing against said piston for urging it into said bore and aperture, apair of manually operated levers pivotally connected and includingshorter moment arms and longer manually squeezable moment arms, aflexible cable connecting the shorter moment arm of one of said pair oflevers with said first lever for actuation thereof, and a casing forsaid flexible cable secured to said housing and the shorter moment armof the other of said pair of levers.

3. A device for attaching a person to a line comprising a housing, aharness including straps adapted to be received about the personsshoulders and to extend over the forward portion of the persons torso, arope connecting said housing and the harness centrally of the forwardtorso portion thereof, said housing having a bore therein in alignmentwith the rope, an element fixed to the end of said line and having anannular indentation therein, a piston reciprocably mounted in saidhousing for movement into said indentation for locking said element insaid bore, a spring acting against said housing and piston to urge saidpiston out of said indentation and bore, a lever pivoted in said housingand bearing against said piston for urging it into said bore andindentation, and a remote manually operated actuator for said lever.

4. A device for attaching a person to a line comprising a housing, aharness adapted to extend over the forward portion of the persons torso,a rope connecting said housing and the harness centrally of the forwardtorso portion thereof, an element fixed to the end of said line andhaving an aperture therein, a piston reciprocably mounted in saidhousing for movement into said aperture for locking said element to saidhousing, a spring acting against said housing and piston to urge saidpiston out of said aperture, a lever pivoted in said housing and bearingagainst said piston for urging it into said aperfure, and a remotemanually operated actuator for said 5. A device for attaching a personto a line comprising a housing, a harness adapted to be worn by theperson, a rope connecting said housing and the harness, said housinghaving a bore therein, an element fixed to the end of said line andhaving an aperture therein, a piston reciprocably mounted in saidhousing for movement into said aperture for locking said element in saidbore, a spring acting against said housing and piston to urge saidpiston out of said aperture and bore, and a remote manually actuatedmeans for projecting said piston into said bore and aperture.

6. A device for attaching a skier to a tow rope comprising a housing,means for securing the housing to the skier, said housing having a boretherein, an element fixed to the end of said tow rope, a pistonreciprocably mounted in said housing for locking said element in saidbore, a spring acting against said housing and piston to urge saidpiston out to said bore, and remote manually actuated means forprojecting said piston into said bore to lock said element therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,056,308 Thies Mar. 18, 1913 2,444,919 Cotton et a1. July 13, 19482,446,710 Makaroff Aug. 10, 1948 2,473,300 Puricelli June 14, 19492,944,506 Bartkowiak July 12, 1960 3,001,483 Gmeiner Sept. 26, 1961

1. A DEVICE FOR ATTACHING A PERSON TO A LINE COMPRISING A HOUSING, AHARNESS INCLUDING STRAPS ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED ABOUT THE PERSON''SSHOULDERS AND TO EXTEND OVER THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE PERSON''S TORSO,A ROPE CONNECTING SAID HOUSING AND THE HARNESS CENTRALLY OF THE FORWARDTORSO PORTION THEREOF, SAID HOUSING HAVING A BORE THEREIN IN ALIGNMENTWITH THE ROPE, AN ELEMENT FIXED TO THE END OF SAID LINE AND HAVING ANANNULAR INDENTATION THEREIN, A PISTON RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN SAIDHOUSING FOR PROJECTTION INTO SAID INDENTATION FOR LOCKING SAID ELEMENTIN SAID BORE, A SPRING ACTING AGAINST SAID HOUSING AND PISTON TO URGESAID PISTON OUT OF SAID INDENTATION AND BORE, A LEVER PIVOTED IN SAIDHOUSING AND BEARING AGAINST SAID PISTON FOR URGING IT INTO SAID BORE ANDINDENTATION, AND A REMOTE MANUALLY OPERATED ACTUATOR FOR SAID LEVER,SAID ACTUATOR INCORPORATING LEVERS PROVIDING A MECHANICAL ADVANTAGEMAKING THE FORCE NECESSARY TO PROJECT SAID PISTON RELATIVELY SMALL.